369 
25 
ay 1 



How to "Plant and Cultivate 
An Orange Orchard 



--h 



v • 



A Summary of the Main Points 



By 

KW. Canada 

Editor Southern Orchards and Homes , 
Secretary Texas Citrus Gronxjers Association 

AND 

S. Arai 

Manager Alvin Japanese Nursery 



Mason Block 



Houston, Texas 



PRICE, FIFTY CENTS 



(Copyriehted 1909, by J. W. Canada and S. Arai) 



MAR 8 ^y^i* 

CLA 5 '^'''■- ^' 



On / 



Texas Horticultural Supply Co. 



CAN FURNISH YOU 

Target Brand Scale Destroyer. 

Bordeaux, Arsenate of Lead, Fly 
Spray, Etc. 

Standard Supplies of all kinds. 

Pruning Shears and Knives. 

Budding Implements and Cloth. 

Orchard Heaters and Carts. 

Whitewashing Machines. 

Canners, Can and Labels. 

Tree Protectors. 

Standard Books on Horticulture. 

The Catalogue contains a complete 
Spray Calendar. Sent Free, 



Texas Horticultural Supply Co. 



MASON BLOCK 



HOUSTON, TEXAS 



Received from 
Copyt!,;nt Office. 

29Ap'09 



Citrus Fruit Culture 



This manual is prepared in order to put into the hands of those who are 
planting orange trees this year the best information available for the making of 
profitable orange orchards. It can not be comprehensive, but it gives the main 
points in regard to selection of lands, preparation of lands, distances for plant- 
ing, when and how to plant, and how to prune, methods of cultivation, diseases, 
insects and remedies. 

It must be borne in mind that the industry in Texas is a new one. There 
has been little time yet to gather any comprehensive data, and few from whom 
to gain information as to how they have made profitable orchards. The climate, 
rainfall, soils . and methods of cultivation vary greatly in the narrow confines 
of the orange belt. All these points must be borne in mind. In view of the 
newness of the industry, and the consequent lack of authentic horticultural 
information, eacli planter must himself become an experimenter, watch closely 
liis methods and those of his neighbor, and learn to follow out what seems to 
give best results. 

I'he growing of fine citrus fruits is the most profitable of all lines of hor- 
ticulture. It gives highest returns per acre. Naturally it requires the biggest 
outlay, not necessarily of money, but of brains, from the time the grounds are 
selected till the fruit is on the market. Each point must be studied; each com- 
bination of soil, climate, variety, cultivation, must be studied, in the light of 
the experience of others and as an every day proposition of the orchard grower. 
With the right sort of care the returns w^ill come and they W"ill be big. But 
no orange orchard will grow of its own accord. No man expecting an orange 
orchard, and a profitable one, as the result of his planting may expect to do less 
than put with his ground and his trees the very best quality of brainwork that 
he can give. 

CLIMATE AND EAINPALL. 

It may be stated that in all regions where there is sufficient moisture, rain- 
fall or irrigation, and the temperature does not rise above 100 or fall below 18 
degrees above zero citrus fruits may be grown. Within these limitations, how- 
ever, are localities that will not produce fruit to any extent worth while, \\liere 
the rainfall is too great, or at the time when the fruit is maturing, or the vege- 
table growth is too luxuriant little fruit may be expected. Along the Texas- 
Louisiana coastal belt, how^ever, there is not too much rainfall for the growing 
of fine fruit, and in the regions further west and south in this belt, wliere 
iho rainfall is not more than 30 inches per year there is still enough without 
irrigation, and in the southwestern part of the belt irrigation can be practiced. 
The coastal belt of these two States, back for a hundred miles from the gnlf. 
may safely be regarded as an orange producing country. With good soil, proper 
varieties, and careful culture exceedingly profitable orange orchards should be 
developed within this area. 

SOILS. 

Citrus trees are exceedingly variable, and consequently will adapt them- 
selves to almost any kind of soil in which they will grow. The quality of the fruit, 
however, is modified by the soil and the rainfall. Kich, alluvial soils produce 
trees of rank growth, which often bear enormous quantities of fruit, and yet 



the lii^dicst ])ric-c(l fruits niav l)c grown on the poorer soils. In the ricliest 
soil the phmt food is seldom well balanced and present in the right proportions 
to prodnee the finest fruits, nor can qualities be affected l)y the use of fertilizers. 
If the field is. normally fertile enough, as the coastal lands are, to produce great 
crops each year quality may still be affected by fertilization. On the other hand, 
the lands further back from the coast and further west, while not so fertile. 
may be made to produce fruit superior in quality and heavy crops by fertilization. 

In this coastal belt and near it, in the orange belt of these two States, are 
to 1)0 found the heavy black soil, Avitli almost no sand, and on this soil arc fine, 
well-paying trees. In the chocolate lands, alluvial, and with more or less sand, 
are likewise to lie found the healthiest sort of trees. The ):ine lands, with con- 
siderable sand, and back foi' nmrc tlian a hundred mile? from the gulf show 
that they will pi'oduce trees that are good growers and productive. The more 
gravelly lands further west, where the rainfall is not great, also seem e(|ually 
well adapted to th.e orange, while it seems to lie as much at home in the irrigated 
])elt of the southwestern coastal region as it is under irrigation in California. 
Then no hard and fast rule about the kind' of soil in which to plant can be set 
down. It is more largely a matter of handling the trees afterward than it is 
of the kind of soil they are planted in. If the soil is a good rich one to begin 
with, little need be added to it for some time, if proper care should be taken 
that ])roper plant food should be added for rapid growth and heavy bearing. 

One thing is essential for the soil and for the orange orchard, and that is 
adequate drainage. The orange tree does not require a great amount of water. 
Tlie lands should not be too wet and heavy, for if they are the growth will be 
slow, and the fruit crop will be light, as well as poor in quality. Drainage in 
the coastal belt of fiat lands and high rainfall is essential to a good orange 
orchard. 

A good orange orchard may be made on almost any sort of soil, but select 
the be^t you have, with good drainage, easy to handle, prepare it well, cultivate 
it well, fertilize and protect with cover ero] s, and use any other fertilizer when 
needed, and the result will be a good orchard. 

PKEPARATIOX OF LAND. 

U'lie heavy soils of the level region, the grass-covered lands along the coastal 
belt require much care to prepare for planting. They should bei broken the 
year before, thoroughly disced and harrowed and pulverized, and the mass of 
grass roots given time to break \\\) and rot. Such land, for the best orchard, 
requires six months or more. For this it should be well drained also. 

The soils with more sand, loamy and without the heavy grass roots is not 
so difficult to prepare, but should be clean and in good condition, and with not 
too great an abundance of humus matter immediately about the trees. 

Lighter soils, and soils under cultivation for some time require no more 
than ordinary })re])aration, as for the jilanting of any sort of trees or seed croj>. 
But land should not be too clean and too free from humus matter and mulching. 

In order to gain time in | hinting, as many wish to do, it is not necessary 
to have the lands broken, or cleared even, but the trees may be planted and the 
land cleared and broken and cultivated afterward. Care should be taken to have 
the ground about the tree, all that its roots will need for the first year's growth, 
in good condition for the striking out of the roots and the growth of a root 



system, for the first years growth of any tree is mainly l)elow rather than al)ove 
ground. 

No time must be lost in clearing land so planted, for other trees will shade 
the plants and will take from them sunshine and moisture and plant food. Also 
the lands should be plowed and put in good condition and made available for 
the growth of the trees. All culture should he done with the aim of making 
as fine, healthy, well-fed and fruitful trees as possible. 

NUMBER OF TREES TO THE ACRE. 

A number of systems are used in planting, but the rectangular one is common. 
A field may be laid off in rectangules most easily, and cultivation in each di- 
rection can be done with most ease. The trees may he planted the same distance 
apart both w^ays, or a greater distance one way. Though the space between 
trees is not equally divided the citrus roots will penetrate and permeate all the 
soil, and will secure all the plant food Avithin the top fifteen inches of soil. 

The hexagonal system sets six trees equidistant from a tree in the center. 
The basis is an equilateral triangle. This system divides equally distance be- 
tween trees. It sets about 15 per cent more trees to the acre. The quincunx 
system has a square or four trees, with one in the centre. The advantage of 
this is that the center tree can be taken out later as needed. 

APPROXIMATE NUMBER OP TREES PER ACRE. 
Distance Rectangle Hexagon Quincunx 



10x10 feet 


436 


501 


831 


12x12 feet 


303 


348 


523 


10x15 feet 


290 






15x15 feet 


193 


217 


347 


15x20 feet 


145 






18x18 feet 


134 


142 


247 


20x20 feet 


108 


124 


199 


20x25 feet 


87 






25x25 feet 


70 


81 


126 



The following may be regarded as approximately correct distances for planting 
for best orchard results, both in productiveness and growth of tcees. 

Kumquats 12 to 15 ft. 

Sat^umas 15 to 20 ft. 

Grape Fruit 18 to 25 ft. 

Other varieties of oranges 20 to 25 ft. 

No set of rules can bo given for distances, for soil, rainfall, fertility, stocks, 
protection from frost, s]vi-nying. etc., must all be considered. The elTect of frost 
on densely ))oi)ulnted orchards is not so great. The trees should !>(> far enough 
apart to allow spraying and fumigating. Tree rows should be straight. In 
general it is l)etter to have oblongs rather than squares. 

Furrows or wires should l)o run both lengthwise and crosswise in the field, 
and a stake set where the tree is to be planted. It is not difficult to lay out 
rectangles for i)laiiting. Hexagons or Quincunix are more difficult. In plant- 
ing either of tlie-c forins it is best to have a good dranglit-mnn make a | lot 
aiul give dirc;'(inn< for laying off the rows. 

SELECTION OF TREES. 

First of all. buy trees from a responsible nurseryman. He has his reputa- 
tion at stake, and can not afford to sell trees other than true to name and in 



first-class condition. Siioukl any mistakes occur ho will always be louud, ready 
to rectify them. Some nurserymen guarantee tlie trees and will replace if 
they die within certain limits. 

Purcluise direct from the nurseryman. If possible, visit his nursery. It 
will pay you, if you plant to any extent at all, to do this. Do not buy from an 
agent, unless you are assured beyond all question of his responsibility, and 
that the nurseryman stands ready to carr}^ out all that he tells you. See the 
conditions under which the trees arc made ready and furnished you. Become 
personally acquainted with the nurseryman. You have no assurance as to tlie 
trees save his honor and integrity, and the better you know him the better for 
you. He will be glad to give you always all information as to varieties, planting, 
care, etc., that he can, for he is interested in having you succeed with your or- 
chard and become a regular customer. 

Purchase trees early, too. The supply is not equal to the demand, and 
lose no time in ordering for planting from a reliable nurseryman. "First 
come, first served,^' is true of the tree man. So never delay in securing trees 
for your planting. 

The l)Ost citrus tree for planting is one with a root of three or four 3fears 
growth, with a stocky, vigorous top of one or two years. Trees should not show 
c=igns of a poor stunted growth, though they may vary widely in the amount 
of growth for the year or two. Nor should the tree show signs of having been 
unduly forced to bring it up to a fair size. Nor should they show signs of 
sappy angular growth. 

Generally speaking for the average planter there is no time saved in plant- 
ing very large trees to have them come in earlier. In the end nothing is gained ; 
frequently much is lost. Buy a medium or even small tree, with a good root 
system, give it care, cultivation, water when needed, and it will start off at once 
and make the best tree. The very best trees from a reliable nurseryman are the 
cheapest in the end, and poor stock is dear at any price. 

WHEN" THE TREES COME. 

Trees are shipped by the nurseryman in boxes or bales. As soon as they come 
they should be unpacked and heeled in. A good shady place should be selected 
for this, a furrow made of sufficient length to hold the trees. Slope off tlie furrow 
to an angle of about 45 degrees, j^lace the roots in the furrow, spread the roots out 
well, pack the earth about them and water. 

When all is ready for planting take the trees from the furrow, a few at a time, 
as needed for planting, trim the roots and wrap them in a damp cloth or gunny 
sack to carry to the field. Xeither siinlight nor stroncj winds should be allowed 
to strike the roots. Citrus tree roots are especially susceptible to injuries from 
these causes. 

In trimming roots remove broken ones, cutting off Avith a smooth cut, slop- 
ing outward. The smooth cut heals quickly. The larger roots should be cut back 
freely. A goodly portion of the small, fibrous ones also; all of thorn if they have 
bopomo dried. When there are two tap roots it is well to leave one longer than tlie 
other. 

If possible to arrange it, the holes should not be dug till just before plant- 
ing. The soil will then contain its natural moisture when placed about the trees. 
Care should be taken that the soil about the root of the tree is compact and clean 
and in fine condition. If the tree has large roots, rather long, and the soil is not 
deep make a large hole, and fill with soil, thus making a root bed of soil that 



comes from within a half dozen or so inches of the top. Soil below this may have 
more or less of clay in it. 

Trees should not be planted deeper than they stand in the nursery row, where 
there is much rainfall or they are irrigated often. In a dryer climate plant from 
1% to 3 inches deeper. Pack the soil well around the roots, but be careful not 
to cramp the roots in setting them. Give good soil about the roots for their set- 
ting and the first yearns growth, so they will be undisturbed. If the soil is poor 
it is well to mix a pound of good commercial fertilizer with it as it is put in the 
hole. Water may be used when the hole is about two-thirds full, and after the 
tree is planted there should be a liberal supply. In irrigation or dry districts 
water should be used every ten or twelve days. Having applied the water, mulch 
the surface with leaves or grass to hold the moisture. Dry dust will do for this. 

IeT hot, dry districts the trunks should be protected to prevent sunburn. 
Many will die from this, and many more will be stunted. Lath cylinders, or 
those made of yucca or pa^er serve the purpose. The trunks may be wrapped with 
straw or paper, or covered with whitewash. 

The tops should be pruned back as soon as the trees are set. Do not retain 
too much top, for there is no gain in so doing. Wlien the trees are taken from the 
nursery row more than half the root system is left in the ground. The top 
should be reduced proportionately. If the trees have a single shoot, without 
branches, they should be cut off Avith a sloping cut just above a node. If there 
are branches trim these back well, with two or three buds on each spur. 

The Satsuma does not require much pruning of the top, as it is naturally a 
shrub, rather than a tree, and its natural tendency is to begin spreading from 
the ground. No further pruning than may seem well for starting the tree off 
should be given it. 

If the trees are set in an orchard for them there is no need of setting stakes 
to protect them, but they should be protected if there is any danger of their get- 
ting broken off in any way or bruised, or the ground about them interefered with. 

CULTIVATION OF OECHAEDS. 

Owing to variety of soils and conditions there is great diversity of opinion 
as to metliods of culture. The system adopted must meet the requirements of 
the soil in wliich they are planted and the rainfall. However, there are some 
broad principles that may 1)6 set down and followed with such variations as soil 
and climate show the careful tiller. 

It is not generally difficult to keep the lands in good condition. Less labor 
is necessary than for the lands of other orchards in other parts of the country. 
The trees seem to thrive some times without any cultivation, and there are even 
found some men who will say that an orange tree needs no cultication at all after 
it has attained a growth of a few years. True it may not die and may bear 
heav}' crops of fruit each year, but it shows, when compared with a tree of the same 
age in a woll-cultivated orchard, that it pays well to continue cultivation. 

After the ground has been put in fine condition, either before or after plant- 
ing, the question comes as to how often and when it should be cultivated. It 
should be cultivated as often as necessary to keep it well pulverized so that it 
will hold the moisture and allow the air to percolate through it, supplying oxygen 
to the roots and setting free plant food. In well cultivated soils decomposi- 
tion of vegetable matter goes on more and nitrogen for the plants is set free 
more quickly. 

The basis of "Dry-Farming" is the fact that water in the soil is to be 
found as a film surrounding the particles of soil. Then the more numerous 



these particle? are, provided tliey do not become dust, the more water there is 
available for keeping the soil in good condition. Loose, open soil permits the 
rain to penetrate. If the surface is dry and hard water runs off. When the 
soil is well stirred water is held when it rains, and also there is less loss by 
evaporation because the top of the soil acts as a mulch. Frequent shallow cul- 
tivation then keeps the water within the soil and prevents its too rapid escape 
by evai^oration. 

In the area of greater rainfall along the gulf coast the main point is to 
keep the soil well stirred so that it does not become hard and cake where there 
is little sand in it. AVliere there is more sand it should be stirred frequently 
also, in order to keep the water in the soil well distributed. Further west, 
where the rainfall is not so great, in Bee, Victoria and other counties, yet it is 
about 30 inches a year, the average in Illinois, and where the sun shines hot, 
it is best to cultivate the lands so that they will always be in fine tilth and all 
moisture conserved for the tree roots. Irrigation in these sections is by no means 
necessarv, and the horse and cultivator are all essentials required for the trees. 
However, in the district irrigation belt in Southwest Texas irrigation is necessary, 
and the trees should be watered as the ground seems to need it. 

The orange does not need so much water, and the finest flavored fruit comes 
from those regions where the rainfall is just enough to keep the trees in healthy 
prowing condition, provided the water that falls is properly conserved by the 
right sort of soil culture. xVlong the coast, where the rainfall is 50 inches or 
more there is danger of getting too much water in the ground, unless it is well 
drained, an essential spoken of under the heading of "Preparation of Soil." 

Some growers keep the ground perfectly clean the year round. There is little 
to recommend this. The soil soon becomes lacking in humus matter and de- 
pleted of its fertility. Xo amount of fertilizers will restore it when too much 
humus is lost. Soon the trees show the effects of such culture in becoming 
unhealthy and ceasing to bear large crops of fruit. If clean culture is adopted 
the humus must l)e restored in some way, by leaves or mold or straw. But it is 
easier to retain the humus than to restore it after it has been exhausted. 

Humus, one of the most important constituents of plant growth, should 
be increased rather than diminished by methods of culture. Ground denuded 
of its natural growth and left exposed to p\in and rain soon lo=cs its fertility, 
and becomes dead and un])roductive. This holds true of the orchard in cultivation 
as well as of the field. The soil is the place wherein the roots get the food 
which they convert into tree and fruit. Long-continued clean cultivation removes 
from the soil the humus, wherein the tree finds it? essentials for food, and 
'"•oon makes the soil nothi'iyf but an uni)ro(luctive sand and cl:iy bank. 

Humus is tlio product of tin' decay of organic substances. It is the in- 
termediate stage between tl'e revolution of the oi'i;aiiic substance into the chem- 
ical. It is the most important substance found in anv soil, ami n«ay be taken 
as an index of fertility. Barren soils lack this substance, but not necessarily 
mineral ingredients. 

Soils rich in humus retain moisture, are more porous, air circulates more 
freely, and so ])lant food is held in better solution. Humus also contains 
from three to twelve ]ier cent of niirogen. and are also u-^ually well -u])plied with 
phosphoric acid and ]X)tash. 

AVliere commercial fertilizeis nre used, and they will come to be used in 
Texas and Louisiana as orchard cultivation becouies more of a science, humus 
i< necessarv as an intermediate for the conversion of the fertilizer from an 



unavailable state for plant food. It is also the media in which bacteria work, and 
lioids plant food in solution till it is used up by the plajiit. 

(]\[ore will be said about this subject under "Cover Crops.") 

METHODS OF CULTIVATION. 

Ground should be prepared well before planting. It should be plowed deeply, 
roots of grass and weeds broken up, and should be disced and harrowed till the 
vegetable matter is converted into humus. If this is not done before planting 
it must be done right up- to the tree holes the first season after they are planted. 
After tlie young orchard is planted the ground may l)e plowed deeply, l)ut not 
closely to the trees. 

Tree rows should 1)0 cultivated comparatively shallow. This will have a 
tendency to send the roots deeper into the soil as they spread out from the 
tree. If the soil is plowed the depths should be variecl from year to year so 
as not to create a harcl and compact layer below a certain depth. 

With the rich soils and the deep ones of most of the coastal belt d'ecp 
plowing is not so very necessary. From six to eight inches is usuallv about right. 
This should be increased from year to year till a depth of twelve or fourteen 
inches is reached and formed into a good root bed. This may sound radical 
and useless to the average farmer, but behind this statement is the experience 
of the best cultivators in other States. 

During the period of most active growth cultivation should be frequent. 
When the soil is damp and heavy such frequency is not necessary. If the w^eather 
is dry cultivation should be had every ten days or so to preserve the moisture. 
The cultivator should be kept going all the time. A light harrow or weeder 
is all that is necessary. It is always best to cultivate ?vs soon as possible after 
a rainfall. This retains the moisture. Where the orchard is irrigated it should 
be cultivated as soon as dry enough. 

Weeds should not be allowed to grow during the | eriod of cultivation. They 
utilize too much water that the trees need. After cultivation f(u- llio season is 
done with a proper cover crop should be grown. 

In this region every effort should be made to have the trei's dormant during 
the entire period when there is danger of a frost. It takes verv little frost to 
injure a tender, sap])y slioot, and a dornumt tree can not be injured save by a 
bard freeze. Cultivation should have as it? aim also the making of the tree 
dornui.nt in the fall, to riMuain so till after the danger in Februarv and March, 
the real time of danger in this belt. The distinct advantage oF the trifoliiata 
stock is that its dorinanl jx'riod is a long one, and so the likdiliortd of ils in- 
jury is small. 

It is difheult to have citrus trees thorouahly dormant, for tlu'V are by nature 
evergreens. Cultivation 'w'ill help to keei) thein dormant, even thouc-h tlie ten- 
dency is for them to respond rcadilv to the warm days a.nd weeks of tlu' winter 
months in the coa.st country. Cultivation should nni be continued late in the 
fall. Xoi' should fertilizei-s I'ieh in nitrogen be ai)plied lite. Xor sho'.ild sfrass 
and weeds that have grown up after cultivation has sto]i))e(l in [be f-dl be allowed 
+o ptav during the winter. In other States it has been sliown <bat Trosj is more 
likelv to injure the tree? when there is among them dead gras-; and weeds. Cer- 
tainlv 11u>re is dancrer of fires injuring them. 

'I'be iniitleuienis used For cultivation must be ada' ted lo the character of 
the soil. Each Farmer knows uhat is best to kee]) bis soil in nood condition. 
Cultivators, liiiiit nr deep, can be used I)v hiiu as hi< s(ul seem- to need. For 



bhallow cultivation there is no better harrow than tlie Acme. Also a weeder 
and a liglit harrow do well. For deep work a disc harrow will do the work 
well, as will a Planet, Jr. Cultivation should be in the hands of a careful man. 
The ends of the whiffletrees should not be allowed to scar the trees. Cultiva- 
tion s^hould be done intelligently and thoroughly. 

COVER CROPS. 

A cover crop at certain .seasons of the year is an important factor for the 
orange orchard. It serves two purposes, to keep a requisite amount of humus 
in the soil, and to protect the soil during certain seasons. In fact, the ad- 
vantages are many. They may be all named. 

Humus is added and water-holding capacity is increased. This latter effect 
is of special value where the rainfall is not so great. 

The soil is opened up deep so that hard layers are not formed, and the soil 
does not become too compact. 

In the coastal belt where the rainfall is great and drainage a problem a cover 
crop aids in removing too much moisture from the soil. 

It prevents leaching of nitrates where there is excessive rainfall during 
certain seasons, and promotes nitrification. 

It adds plant food, through the leguminous crops, and breaks up and renders 
available the plant food in the soil. 

There are two classes of rover crops, those that collect nitrogen, the legu- 
minous plants, those that consume it. 

To the former belong alfalfa, cow peas, clover, velvet beans, vetch, lupines 
and a few others. On the roots of these plants are nodules formed by bacteria, 
v\^hich find entrance to the roots through the root hairs. These bacteria col- 
lect and store nitrogen of the air in the tubercules formed on the plants. This 
nitrogen then i)ecomes a.vailable for the use of the tree roots. These tubercules 
give up their nitrogen and disappear. 

To the latter class belong rye, oats, rape, grasses of various kinds ; in fact, 
all plants for cover crops not belonging to the legume family. These plants 
only give back what they have withdrawn. They also add humus to the soil. 

The value of a cover crop depends largely on the time it is ]lowed in. In our 
hot climate it should not be plowed under when green, but should be allowed 
to become partially dry. If plowed under green it tends to sour and so he- 
come injurious to the trees and land. 

Cow peas are well known, and their value as a cover crop every good farmer 
Icnows, and he knows also how to handle them. The cover crop should be gotten 
out of the way by the time the picking season liegins. Cow peas are subject 
to the nematode, a worm that is injurious to most tree roots also, but not to 
citnis tree roots. The peas may be gotten rid of by mowing them and allowing 
them to rot on the surface or by harrowing them in. 

The velvet green makes an immense growtli. In full vig(^r it will cover (lie 
ground two or tliree feet deep with a mass of vines. It is difficult to handle in 
.n region where there i? no frost to kill it in tlie fall, as it continues a rank 
growth till late. It may ho mowed and loft to rot on the ground. It collects 
nitrogen in large quantities. In the orange ordiard it will add I'ullv a hundred 
pounds of nitrogen to the acre. 

The seed should be sown in "May. Cultivation sliould bo continued for tiiroe 
or four weeks after planting, and the weeds should be kept down till the beans 
are well started. It is better to sow in drills, four or five feet apart. They 



should not be planted closer than six or eight feet to the trees. Care should 
also be taken that the vines do not run over the small trees and smother them. 

Crab grass and the cover crops that are not leguminous are valuable as cover 
crops in that they serve all purposes, save bringing nitrogen. Some growers 
may prefer supplying the nitrogen. 

These points in cultivation are somewhat new to this region from the fact 
that very little attention has been given by any one to the study of soils and 
crops on them and the needs of plants for best growth and fruiting. 

FEETILIZEES. 

Proper food material for the making of the tree and of the fruit must be 
supplied. It is not enough to say that the soil is rich ajid deep and needs 
nothing. No soil is inexhaustible. The richest coast country soils in time come to 
need many constituents for the growing of heavy crops of the best quality of fruits. 

On quality of the orange depends more liberal returns to the grower than 
is the case with almost any other fruit. The orange is a dessert fruit, and is 
eaten in its natural state. There are no secondary products. It must appeal 
to the eye and to the palate direct. Its qualities can not be changed or supple- 
mented. The only modification in its quality that can be made is through t}.e 
food on which the plant that produces the fruit grows. Therefore il.e matter 
of fertilization is an important one. 

It Avill be some time, however, before much attention is given to Diis sub- 
ject in the orange section now being developed. The careful grower, good stu- 
dent and practical orchard man will study these problems and see that his trees 
have the right constituents for the making of oranges uniform, of good size, 
smooth, well-colored, and of the best flavor. The sooner the study f.f tliis is 
made the better the orchard will pay the grower. 

The orange lands of Texas and Louisiana are naturally so fertile that little 
need be added save just the right constituents for making the individual orchard 
the best. However, when all the essentials of plant growth seem to be present 
it is often found that something will add materially to the quality as well as to 
the yield. The intelligent orchard man wishes to apply to his orchard the plant 
food required by the crop to be grown. In order to do this he must know what 
his soil has in it, and what the fruit requires. 

The fruits of California and Florida differ from each other in character and 
com] osition, and it will be found that those of Texas differ from the fruit 
grown in the States named. The California orange shows .50 per cent more 
nitrogen and 50 per cent less phosphoric acid than does the Florida. There is 
more than twice as much potash in the Florida fruit. The potash makes the 
Florida orange superior in sweetness and flavor. 

The composition of any soil as determined l)y analysis has little bearing 
on practical methods of fertilizing. It is impossible to determine the amount 
of any plant food that will become available or will be used by the crop during 
its period of growth. The chemical condition of the soil is of less importance 
than is the physical condition and the constituents. 

The food requirements of citrus fruits differ from recognized requirements 
of other crops only in amount and proportion. Potash, nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid are demanded by the tree in excess of the ability of the soil to fhirnish, 
and they need to he supplied by the grower. His concern is to know how much 
and in what form to apply them. 



Lime is iiet'dfd, and its direct cireel is to produec tiie dcsiraUlc thinness of 
skin. Pliosplioric acid is inoro evident in its effect on the tree than on its 
fruit. Al.<o it goes hir«rely to the seeds. Lack of sufficient of it in the soil 
i.N fre(|uenlly shown in a mottled or variegated appearance in the newly formed 
leaf. Xitrogen forces vigorous growth. This shows in t\ood, leaf and fruit. 
tVhsence of sufficient nitrogen shows in paleness or yellowness of leaf, scanty 
foliage and apparent lack of vigor. Ahundance of nitrogen results in luxuriant 
growth, abundant glossy and dark colored leaves. Heavy, juicy fruit is another 
result of plenty of nitrogen supply. Dry, light fruit, with superabundance of 
''rag" is an indication of a lack of nitrogen. Excess of nitrogen causes the ends 
of the twigs to die back, and the fruit ])ecomes thick and rough skinned. Potash 
exerts a most decisive influence onjhe fruit. It affects the color, sweetness and 
ffavor of the fruit, and tiie ripening or hardening of the wood. Lack of potash 
-hows in iinnuiture wood and in consequent susceptibility to injury from cold. 
Over one-half of the ash of an oraaige is potash. Experiments and experience 
show that the direct influence of potash on the quality of fruit is very great. 
The inrtuonce of potash on wood growth is apparently greater with the orange 
than wiili any other kind of tree, and in this respect it has a special significence. 
The new growth of orange wood is normalh^ not cylindrical. The young twigs 
at first are flattened on two or more sides to an angular form, usually approach- 
ing a triangular shape. Toward the end of the first season this condition dis- 
appears usually, and normal development succeeds. When there is too much am- 
monia for the trees this form continues and the develo] nient of round branches 
is dela3'ed. In orchards deficient in potash or with too much ammonia branches 
two years old showing angular sides are nnich in evidence. 

The condition of the young trees thus shows indications of the soil con- 
stituents or lack of them for the making of the best trees and the best fruit. 
The orange grower must feed his plants for both tree growth and fruit. He 
must observe his (trees and from their appearance decide Kvhat constituents 
are needled. The young orchard needs fertilizing for the tree growth alone, M-hile 
the older orchard needs fertilizing for both tree and fruit. In order to get the 
best results the grower must know his trees and be ready to add in some form 
the materials that seem to ])e lacking. When the trees come into bearing he 
must further study what is needed for the making of the l)est fruit. The less 
quickly available forms, bone meal, sol phosjdiate and Thomas slag may ])e used 
for tree making materials. For regular feeding and quickest results acid phos- 
phate should be the standby. 

The best form of potash to use is Sulphate of ])otasli or sulphate of ])otash- 
magnesia. The latter is best for fruiting trees on account of the magnesia it 
contains. Hardwood ashes can also he used to good advantage occasionally, as 
the alkali in the ashes will neutralize any acid that may have accunndated in 
the soil, and this will better enahle the tree to take up the jilant fo'xl ])]aced 
wiihin its reach. 

In selecting the form of nitrogen the greatest ]:recauti(»n is nc'ded. Stable 
manure should not be allowed near orange trees. Hank growth, thick skins, much 
"rag" and inferior fla.vor are the results. Splitting and dropping, and even 
die-back arc the residts imder aggravated conditions. Other organic forms of 
nitrogen, such as cotton-seed meal tankage and blood, ])ossess much the. same 
tendencv, and should be used with great caution. Nitrate of soda is the liest 
form in which fo a]»pl\- the nitrogen. 



An important secondary effect of fertilizers is on the soil as regards moisture. 
Xitrate of soda and kainit both materiall}- increase capillaj-y attraction. More 
water moves np from the lower strata and thus becomes availal)le for the trees. 
These salts increase surface tension^ and consequently the capillary movement of the 
water. This is a point so important in some regions that it may well affect the 
selection of a fertilizer. Organic manures have the opposite effect and increase the 
dryness of the soil. 

Of the three requisites, phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash, the last named 
is far more important. Experienced growers are able to pick out the fruit from 
orchards where this essential is found in sufficient quantity. 

The orange blooms in the spring. The fruit grows on wood grown the pre- 
ceding season. It is thus apparent that the fertilizer for the bloom and fruit 
must have been consumed the previous season. Fertilizer should be applied at 
least twice during the year. Three times are better. February, June and Sep- 
tember are the months. The first may be called the bloom, the second the fruit 
and the third the wood fertilizing. The fii-st two applications should be strong 
in nitrogen; the final one should be mainly potash. Fertilizer should be so 
applied that the bulk of it will be, not near the tree, but out where the roots 
can take it np most quickly. It should be sowed broadcast, and should then 
be harrowed in. The first two or three years it should be applied close to the 
tree, of course, for the roots have not yet reached out very far. The roots will 
seek the fertilizer, and the larger the circle of roots will become as the fer- 
tilizer is spread and the root systems extend in seaTch of it. This also gives a 
greater area from which to draw moisture and natural food 

The subject of fertilizei's is one that must be studied carefully by the 
orchard man who wishes best results from his trees. 

WIND PROTECTION. 

Orange trees exposed to winds, as is the case along the coastal region, should 
be protected by windbreaks. This prevents the tree from whipping itself to 
pieces. The salt-laden atmosphere is not injurious to the trees necessarily, but 
the continual beating is. , Eapid growing, heavy foliaged trees should be planted. 
The camphor tree makes a fine v/indbreak. The eucalyptus makes a rapid growth, 
and with some smaller tree as an aid it makes a quick and good protection. The 
catalpa tree is also first-class. A belt of natural timlier, where tliere is one, should 
always be left as a protection. 

PROTECTION AGAINST FROST. 

It must not be forgotten that the orange is tropical in nature. The great ad- 
vantage of the trifoliata stock is he fact that it gives a more complete and longer 
dormant ])eriod than any other stock. Protection against frost and cold is to be 
had through methods of cultivation and handling and through artificial protection. 

A statement of the conditions under which tlie trees i^ Florida were killed 
will illustrate. On December 29th, 1894, the temperature fell at Jacksonville 
to U degrees, the coldest known for 60 years. The trees were dormant, or 
fairly so, and little injury resulted. This cold was followed by three weeks of 
extremely warm weather. The trees at once began to grow to re|\air the de- 
foliation caused by the cold. By the end of the iirst week in February they had 
put out tender shoots, buds and half-formed leaves. They were full of sap. 
On Feliruary Sth the temperature again dropped to 14 degrees and the trees 
were all killed. It was not so much the cold as the unusual conditions that 
brought about the damage. 



The tree must be kept entirely dormant, or as nearly so as possible from 
the first of December till the lirst of ]\l:irch. Cold weather here is usually about 
the middle of February. The following means will help most effectively to this end : 

Omit the working of the trees from September till February. 

Exclude all nitrogenous or ammoniated fertilizers during this period. 

Root-pruning, carefully practiced around one-quarter of the tree is conducive 
to dornumcy. 

Stocks for planting should be selected with reference to dormancy. Herein 
lies the adva.ntage of the trifoliata. 

Living trees and large bodies of water are several degrees warmer than the 
surrounding air. The strip of land along the southern bank of the lower Mis- 
sissippi is probably the richest natural orange region in the United States. Its 
warm and even temperature is due largely to the protection of a mile of water 
between it and the winds that come from the north. A rice farmer in Louisiana 
floods his orchards from his pumps wh^n a cold and frosty night comes, and thus 
protects them. 

The hilling of the trees, as practiced by some of the most successful orchard 
men, has in view the keeping of the trees dormant and not subject to starting 
growth while there is still danger of frost. It keeps the ground about the roots 
cold and so prolongs the dormant period. 

Artificial heat is used in both Florida and California. In time it will come 
to be used in Texas and Louisiana when needed, and the growers recognize the 
value of their orchards, and that they can afford to take no chances with their 
trees. Slow fires or smudges, of straw or moss, make a smoke, and this settles 
over the grove and prevents a formation of frost. This protects the trees 
after the sun rises, for it is rather the thawing too quickly more than the actual 
freeze that hurts. Dry fires, of coal or wood or oil, are used also at intervals 
through the orchard. These fires raise the temperature a few degrees, but more 
important, set in motion currents of air so that frost is not formed. The cost 
of thus 1 rotecting an orchard is not great when the value of the trees and fruit 
is considered. 

DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 
The number of diseases attacking citrus fruits is not nearly so large as 
those attacking most other fruit?. Some arc due to negligence, while others 
are associated with fertilization and cultivation. Still some may appear under 
the best care. Many of the diseases are due to fungi. These attack various parts 
of the tree, roots, branches, leaves and interfere with their functions, and eventu- 
ally kill the part or the entire tree. These fungi are spread by means of spores, 
v.hich are scattered by the- wind and rain, and sometimes by heat and moisture. 
Another class of disease is connected witli the cells of the plant and the life 
activities of the cell formations. 

FUNGUS DLSEASES. 
Foot-rot or gum disease — mal-di-goma. is known wherever orange trees grow. 
In Florida it has destroyed the sweet seedlings, and is mainly responsible for the 
discontinuing of the sweet stock for propagating purposes. It is clearly marked 
and not likely to be confounded with any other disease. It is confined to the 
crown and main roots of the tree, extending a foot or so above the ground and 
downward along the roots. Its presence is indicated by an exudation of gum, 
which forms in drops on the bark covering the spot. The outer cortex becomes 
brownish and the inner decayed. The affected part emits a fetid odor like that 



of a decayed orange. The } lant strives to overcome the disease by cutting off 
the infected part and making a wall of new tissue. The bark then dries up, breaks 
away and drops off. Though the tree may continue to bear fruit it does not appear 
healthy. The leaves become yellow, the twigs and young branches die. Unless 
tlie tree is cured in some way it soon dies. Sour orange, trifoliata, rough lemon 
f^nd pomelo are very risistant to this disease, while sweet orange and lemon are very 
subject to it. 

The specific cause of the disease is in doubt, but it appears to be a fungi- 
cidal growth. Deep-setting, wet, soggy soil, rank, organic fertilizers, soil under- 
laid with hard pan, faulty drainage, shaded conditions, are all contributory to 
its spread. A healthy tree is more likely to throw it off. 

As a remedy remove any of these injurious conditions ; cut out all diseased 
tissue and burn it ; paint the freshly cut wood with a good disinfectant insecticide 
solution and disinfect all implements that come in contact with the diseased tree. 

Scab, lemon scab, sour orange scab, attacks the sour orange, the lemon, the 
Satsuma, and sometimes the pomelo and kumquat. The leaves, twigs and fruit 
become scabby and warty. Sometimes the leaves are twisted and drawn out of 
shape and so can not fulfill their natural functions of respiration. Under the 
warts on the fruit is an abnormal thickening of the tissue. The warts are first 
yellowish^ then grayish and finally they become dusky and black and crack and 
open. The specific cause of the disease is a fungus. The spores are small, 
smoky in color, and borne on brown colored filaments. Wlien mature they be- 
come detached, and are carried by the wind from one tree to anotlier. Falling 
on the young leaves the spores germinate by ending out a delicate slender tube 
which produces the well-marked diseased condition of the leaf. 

The scab can be controlled by using a copper spraying solution, Bordeaux 
mixture or ammoniated solution of copper carbonate. Spray three times. First 
wlien the petals have fallen from the first blossoms and two others inside of six 
weeks. If these are not enough to protect tlie young fruit further spraying 
should be done. 

Frequently round dead spots are to be found on citrus leaves. An examina- 
tion shows that there are minute dark spots over the dead yellowish spots. 
These dark points contain the spores of a fungus which causes the trouble. This 
fungus causes tlie dying back of the twigs of citrus trees, the death of lime- 
blossoms, anthracnose of the lime, and black-spot diseases on the rind of the lemon. 
This disease can be held in check by spraying with Bordeaux mixture. 

A fungus frequently cause a ripe-rot. This shows as a yellowish cover of 
dust-like, bluish powder. This fungus is closely allied to the blue mold that 
forms on bread. The powdery mass is composed of innumerable spores. The 
filaments or roots of thesQ spores penetrate the tissue of the fruit. After the 
filaments have grown some time they become beadlike strings of spores. The 
spores are the bluish, powdery mass. From tl.is spore a filament is sent out, and 
if it can penetrate the fruit it grows and develops more spores. A -slight bruise 
or the injury of an insect is sufficient to enable the spore to begin \o spread 
through the fruit. Hot, damp days and nights are favorable for its growth also. 
Jt may spread from orange to orange in an improperly cured and tightly packed 
box, or from orange to orange as they touch on the tree. 

The remedy for this is thorough curing and drying. A good quality of 
wrapping paper should be used. Culls and decayed fruit should be destroyed. 
If the packing house is infected it should be closed and fumigated by burning 
sulphur. 



Sooty Diold is widely distributed. It occurs as a sooty-black covering on the 
■leaves, i'ruit and twigs of many plants, and is clearly associated with various 
insects belonging to the families of aphidae and the coccidae. It is found with 
all tlie scale and allied insects that exude honeydew. It feeds on honeydew. 
The insects named are gregarious in their habits; the honeydew accumulates in 
these spots and so the fungus appears as a black covering. This covering is 
vegetable threads, and develops wherever sufficient honeydew is found. 

When it follows the attack of the white fly it is most dangerous. The 
white fly spends the greater portion of its life on the under; side of the leaf, 
the honeydew from it falls on the leaves below, and the fungus spreads through 
this and soon the leaves, twigs and fruit come to have a black, sooty covering. 
This covering prevents the entering of the sunlight to the pores of the leaves, 
shuts off their breathing, and so hurts the tree. The immediate damage is to 
the cro]>. Ultimately the trees perish. When this fungus is abundant the fruit 
is so colored by it that it must be washed before marketing. 

Xo treatment for the fungus alone can be recommended. The insects should 
be destroyed, and then the fungus will disappear of itself, for when there is no 
longer honeydew it perishes. 

Flyspeck or sooty fungus covers the rind of the fruit to a greater or less 
extent. When the rind is badly affected it gives the fruit a blotched appearance. 
This sooty covering must not be confused with the attacks of insects on the trees, 
as is the case of the soot on the leaves, twigs and fruit spoken of above as due 
to the white fly and other insects. The cause of this is a fungus. It is com- 
mon to the apple also. So far as is known no damage is done \o me fruit, but 
it is made unsightly. Nearly all traces of this fungus may be removed if the 
fruit is washed, and this is the best treatment. It appears al)Out the time the 
fruit matures. 

Lichens are found upon trees, stones, logs, etc., in most moist regions. They 
are not } arasitic, but do injury to trees by preventing free access of air to the 
tree trunks, and by forming a harbor for insects. They are never so plentiful 
on trees in healthy condition, and they are very unsightly. There is also a 
lichen that is sometimes found on the leaves of citrus trees. It takes the form 
of small ashy-gray dots and blotches on the upper surface of the leaves. This 
lichen injures the tree by obstructing the breathing processes of the leaves and 
the access of light. As a remedy leaves should be sprayed and trunks should be 
scraped or scrubljed clean. Soap suds will serve for the scrubbing. 

PHYSIOLOGICAL DLSEASES. 

Die-hack is found in all citrus districts. It attacks every variety. Con- 
ditions producing it have been spoken of already under the head or Fertilizers. 
The diseases can be detected at once. The twigs die back for several inches, and 
eventually the larger ones are affected. The new growth is nipped off. Fruit 
drops off. The tree tries to remedy itself by water sprouts, but these too are 
affected, and at last the tree dies. 

It is not a fungus disease. It is rather a disorder of the tree. The only 
treatment for it is to study conditions of soil and fertilization and bring the 
trees into a healthy condition. In damp ground the main thing as safety from the 
effects of tiiis disease is good drainage. Fertilization and cultivation of the right 
sort are most effective. 

Blight is the most dreaded and worst of all diseases. Blighted trees appear 
to be suffering from drought, or look as if they had been recently transplanted. 



The leaves wilt, droop and fuially fall oil'. In some cases the disease -work? very 
ra])idly : sometimes slowly. The cause of the disease is not known. Trees at any 
age may be attacked. There is no external evidence of cause. It seems to be 
rather some derangement of the internal functions of the tree. Pruning does 
not sto}! it. It spreads from one tree to another, and the best method is to cut 
out and Iniin trees that arc affected. The only way to combat it is through the 
soil, and no method has yet been found. 

INJURIOUS INSECTS. 

Biting insects ; that is, those that eat the leaves, are not so numerous or so 
injurious as the class which cling to the leaves and suck the vitality out of them. 
G-rasslioppers do damage sometimes by eating the foliage off, but this has never 
l)een a damage of any extent worth while in the coast country. 

The orange-dog, a large, ugly caterpillar some times feeds upon the leaves. 
It is a dark, brownish black worm, two or more inches in legnth. There are large 
blotches of dirty white When disturbed it emits two horns, or feelers, and a 
very disagreeal)le odor. It is an enormous feeder, and a leaf is soon eaten by 
it. The damage is done while it is in the larval state. A,fter the worm is 
grown it crawls to some tree, or log, and goes into the chrysalis stage. In about 
two weeks a butterfly is hatched, gorgeous black and yellow, and six inches across 
the wings. The females deposit four or five hundred eggs a season, on the 
tender shoots and twigs, and there are four or five broods a season. As soon as 
these hatch the damage begins by the eating of the leaves by the young cater- 
pillars. This insect may be gotten rid of by picking and destroying the cocoons, 
or a sjjray of paris green : four ounces to fifty gallons of water, will kill the 
caterpillars. 

The purple scale is M-idely spread. It is one of the largest of the scales. One 
varitey is called the oyster-shell bark louse, and feeds on apjde trees. The 
general outline and markings suggest the oyster shell, hence the name. The males 
are smaller than the females. The eggs are wdiite and very minute. The newly- 
ha,tched larva is white, about one-tenth of an inch in length, with fiery eyes. 
This larva soon fastens upon a leaf or twig and sends out a film of threads. 
About throe weeks after h.atching the true scale is Ijcgun. Three or four weeks 
later a second moult is begun and the female nine or ten days later begins to 
lay eggs. The eggs are deposited beneath the female, and in about a week the 
young begin to ap])ear. The male moults earlier, and becomes a fly by the time 
the female is tlirough the first moulting. There are four generations a year. 
In March and April. June or ,Iulv and September are usually found the most 
scales. A thorough spray witli kerosene emulsion or caustic jiotasli or whale oil 
soa]) will destroy them. 

'I'he red scale of Florida infests branches, leaves and fruit. It mav l)e treated 
with the same solutions. It is not so injurious as the ])ur)de scale. California 
also has a red scale which has | i-oved to be a troublesome pest. Xo predaceous 
enemies have been found to control it, so that spraying is the onlv remedv. The 
same solutions are effective. 

The long scale is one of the very injurious ones. It is of a more linear 
sliape than the pur])le one. 'i'lic fenude is l^rownish. about one-tenth of an inch 
in length. When crowded the scales take all sorts of shapes to fit their sur- 
roundings, and many become so dwarfed and nuilformed tliat it is diificult to 
recognize tliciii. 'I'he young are a translucent wax in coloi-; as they grow older 
they beeoiiic [)ur])le. The male is smaller than the female. It becomes a minute 



two-winged fly. The life history of this scale is like that of the purple scale. 
The same remedies may be applied to destroy them. 

The chaff scale, thin, light and straw-colored, is found mostly on the trunk 
and larger limbs of the tree. Sometimes it spreads to the fruit and leaves. It 
resembles the bark in color and is frequently overlooked. It can be destroyed 
by using a good scale destroyer and spraying thoroughly. 

The orange scale, found on the twigs and leaves, is very abundant in Louisiana, 
and may become widely sj)read throughout Texas. It can be seen easily, and 
can be destroyed by a good spraying with a first-class scale destroyer. 

The turtle-hach scxde grows to about one-eighth of an inch in length, is broad 
and oval. It gets its name from its resemblance to the turtle. The youno- is 
yellowish in color, and always settles upon bark and leaves of a tender growth. 
The insect increases the most rapidly when the young twigs are tender in the 
spring and early summer. Later they disappear. They do not seem to be able 
to- pierce the bark of the older twigs. They may be destroyed by a good spraying. 

The black scale is larger, nearly black in color. The young feed upon the 
twigs and leaves. There is genet-ally only one brood a j^ear. This scale feeds upon 
other than citrus fruits. It can be destroyed by spraying with a good scale destroyer. 

The wax scale, so called because it is covered Avitli wax, and under this cover- 
ing the eggs of the young are hatched, is not very dangerous. It feeds' upon 
other than citrus fruits also. It is large enough to be seen readily. Eesin wash, 
wdiale oil soap or kerosene emulsion will destroy it. 

The barnacle scale is like the wax scale, save it is differently marked. It is 
also larger. It is more rare, and may be destroyed in the same manner as the 
preceding. 

The cottony cushion scale is the one that did so much damage in California. 
ISTeither fumigation nor spraying were effective. It had a natural enemy, how- 
ever, in the lady-bug, brought from Australia, and this bug has always checked 
it. This bug must be introduced Avhere the scale makes its appearance. 

The mealy bug is also common in other orange growing States. It will 
come to this region in due time. It may be controlled by a strong insecticide 
and thorough spraying. It is about one-eighth of an inch in size, and dull 
brownish in color. The young may be found on the under side of the leaves. 
These bugs- exude honeydew, and the red ants scatter them. Destroy the ants. 

The ^^hite Fly. The white fly is the worst dreaded of all pests for citrus 
trees. It reproduces very rapidly, and passes through the various stages of 
development from the minute e^g to the fly, four moults, in a comparatively 
short time, and the number of eggs laid by one female is enormous. The young 
larvae crawls about the leaf, but are visible only on close examination. The 
female is about one-twentieth of an inch in length, and the male somewhat 
smaller. The fly can be destroyed by fumigation or through spraying during 
the pupal stage. Use a good scale destroyer solution. 

Mites of various colors are also pests injurious to the tree and to the fruit. 
They injure the fruit in size, and it does not develop well. They are usually 
in greater abundance on the under side, and so this side is given a rusty ap- 
pearance. The mite may be controlled by spraying with solutions of sulphur 
and caustic soda, or containing these ingredients in goodly quantities. 



Alvin Japanese Nursery 



S. ARM, Manager 



Wholesale and Retail 



Importers and Growers of 
Citrus Fniits, Magnolia Figs, Japanese Fruits and Ornamentals 



A Large Stock of 

GENUINE SEEDLEES SATSUMA ORANGES 
Thirty other varieties. Kumquats, Grape Fruits, Etc. 
Our trees have very strong root systems, and are choice. 
WE GUARANTEE our trees for three months after 
planting when vy^e ship direct to the planter. .*. /. .*. 

W RITE FOR PRICE LIS T 



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Mason Block, Houston, Texas Alvin, Texas 



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